Past Enemies
by Countrygirl09
Summary: When going after some old enemies an explosion takes the Rangers by suprise. Will it have a longlasting effect on one of them? SydGage fanfic. Chapter 9 is up! complete
1. Chapter 1

Past Enemies

Disclaimer: I don't own Walker, Texas Ranger or any of its characters.

Summary: A bomb planted by some old enemies takes the Rangers by surprise. Will it have a long-lasting impact on one of them? Syd/Gage fanfic

Chapter 1

Gage and Sydney opened the door to Company B Texas Rangers at 8:00 on the dot. This was a change for Gage, who was almost always late. Sydney often joked that someday he would be late for his own funeral. But things were different now.

It was obvious that the junior partners had been getting closer lately. Yes, they were best friends but some where between all of the late night conversations and extra sparring matches at the Ranger Gym and having breakfast together almost every morning both were starting to realize what everyone else had noticed months ago. There was something more to their relationship but neither was quite ready to admit it just yet.

As soon as they had set foot into the office, Walker called them over to his desk and then also beckoned Trivette.

"What's up Walker?" Gage asked as the three rangers came to stand around his desk.

"We've got a new case guys," Walker started, "You know that old abandoned mill out by Wanders Lake?" After the three nodded he continued. "Well I just got a call this morning that Granges, Vulture and a few of the other Raptors were paroled last week and could be setting up a lab in the mill."

"Wow," Sydney responded, "They sure didn't waste any time. So what's our plan?"

"Well I'm sure every Raptor remembers us well so I don't want to risk sending you guys undercover with them again but we need to put a stop to these guys before they get as strong as they were last time. So let's start by checking out some of the local high schools. I have a hunch that the gang is roping some of the students into selling their product."

"Let me guess, Syd and I are going undercover at one of the schools," Gage put in.

"You got it. Sydney, you're going in as Linda Harrison and you'll be an aid in the cafeteria. Gage, you're Mark Greene and you're going to be a custodian. You can check the locker rooms and hallways for anything suspicious. Both of you need to keep an eye open for drugs and their dealers at all times. Tomorrow morning you have to report to the Dallas High School over on Rt. 409 at 9AM to the principal, Mr. Harvey. He'll be expecting you.

After giving them the rest of the day off to prepare for their new assignment, Walker turned to his partner. "Trivette, we're going to work our sources. I want to know all we can about the Raptors and their lives now that they are out of prison: usual hang outs, new associates, the works." Trivette nodded and the partners headed out to track down any new information about the once toughest biker gang in the southwest.

A/N: This is my first attempt of a story that isn't about children or survival in the wilderness and I'm not sure how it's going to turn out. I might decide that I can't continue with the story but I'll try my best and if I succeed, I hoping this will be my best story yet. Please review.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I lay no claim on Walker, Texas Ranger or any of its characters. I'm just borrowing them for the sole purpose of our entertainment.

Chapter 2

As the two junior partners headed back to Gage's apartment for the remainder of the day, Sydney's mind wandered back to the time she and Gage spent undercover with the Raptors. It was no secret that the sparks had flown between the two almost constantly even then.

She bit her lip as she remembered how Gage had kissed her just after their initiation into the gang. She recalled how she had analyzed it over and over again and tried unsuccessfully to convince herself that like the one before it, it was a celebration kiss and was only meant to keep up appearances.

  

Gage gazed at his incredibly beautiful partner. He could see that her mind was a million miles away and guessed that she was thinking about their last encounter with the biker gang they were about to go up against once again.

"Penny for your thoughts, Shorty," he said and waited for her to respond.

"I was just thinking about the time we already spent with these guys…" She trailed off and Gage knew exactly what she was thinking about because he was thinking about it as well. Sure it had been a spur of the moment thing but he wasn't denying that he loved every second of it.

Gage made a mental note to bring it up later but he wasn't going to make the mistake of mentioning it during a workout at the gym. Last time he'd tried that, all he had gotten for his effort was a kick in the head.

  

By the time Gage and Sydney had reached the apartment complex, it was nearing 11:30 and Gage's stomach was growling loud enough for Sydney to hear. "Geez Gage," she said, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you haven't eaten all day."

"Well usually I grab something out of the snack machine at around 10 to hold me until lunch but since I didn't, I'm starving."

"Francis, you're always starving," Sydney replied in good humor.

"Funny Syd. If you want, I can make us a few burgers."

"Sounds great, just don't burn the apartment down trying," she joked.

Gage just rolled his eyes and ignored the comment.

  

Feeling much better after filling his stomach with a triple cheeseburger with the works, Gage felt bold enough to bring up the forbidden subject of their relationship. "Syd…" he started.

"Mmm," she replied not looking away from the movie she'd found on TV.

"Can we talk?" As he said this he flipped off the TV to make sure he had he undivided attention.

After sensing the serious tone in his voice, Sydney hesitated before replying, "Sure… about what?"

"Well about… us," Gage said slowly.

Sydney froze. After all she had just admitted to herself that Gage was more to her than her best friend and partner. She wasn't at all ready to admit it out loud. "Uhh Gage, I should probably go. Umm I have some stuff I need to get done at home." She made a run for the door but Gage caught her by the arm.

"Syd, you and I both know that you have nothing to get done at home." Sydney opened her mouth to say something, anything but Gage shushed her. "We can run from this all we want but sooner or later, we're going to have to talk about it."

"Good, let's make it later," she replied quickly before dashing halfway out the door only for Gage to pull her back inside. "Gage…" Sydney tried to pry his hand off her arm but he took her hand in his and pulled her close. When their lips met, Sydney struggled again but slowly melted into Gage's strong embrace.

It was over all too soon and gage dropped his hand to his sides. "Go ahead and leave," he told her and turned around.

Sydney watched from the doorway as he sat down on the couch and flipped the TV back on. She knew she had hurt him and after a minute she walked back in, closed the door and slowly made her way to where he sat. "Gage…" she started, "I'm sorry. You're absolutely right. It's just that every time I've been in a relationship, I've lost a very good friend when we broke up and I don't want that to happen this time. I care about you too much." She turned around choking back tears.

Gage took a deep breath and stood. He turned her around and took her hand, coaxing her to sit. When she did, he spoke. "Syd, everyone's been hurt in relationships but you've got to understand, you can't hide from them forever. I won't let you." Sydney was looked at her lap with the tears still in her eyes. Gage took one of her hands into his and with the other; he gently raised her head and looked into her eyes. "Sydney, I don't know what this will do to us but I'm in love with you."

Sydney smiled and took his other hand. "Gage I don't care one way or another what it will do to us but I love you too." And then the partners shared their very first real kiss. It wasn't one to keep up appearances or to celebrate the safety of their friends. It was a true kiss that finally let them express their true feelings toward each other.

A/N: I know that in every Syd/Gage fic I write, I have a scene much like this one and I don't know what you guys think but frankly I'm getting sick of them. But for this one, I need the partners to have this relationship established before I can go on with the story. I promise this story is not going to be all fluff. There will be plenty of action and pain. Review this chapter and I'll get on the rest of the story ASAP.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Walker, Texas Ranger or any of its characters.

Chapter 3

The next day Sydney and Gage drove separately to Dallas High School. It had been decided that Mark and Linda wouldn't know each other. Mr. Harvey knew they were undercover Rangers but he had agreed to treat them like any other school employee so no one would suspect anything.

Gage arrived as Sydney was leaving Mr. Harvey's office. She smiled briefly in his direction before hurrying off. He entered the office and the principal rose to greet him. "Hello, you must be Mark Greene. I'm Jim Harvey but don't bother with any of that mister stuff, I'm just Jim." They shook hands and Jim proceeded to give him a rundown of the numerous tasks he must complete as custodian. Before he knew it, Gage was on his way to perform any menial task asked of him.

  

Their first day was pretty uneventful but Gage and Sydney still had to report to Walker after school let out for the day.

From down the hall Walker and Trivette could hear Gage complaining to his partner. "You have no idea how many toilets I've scrubbed and floors I've cleaned today. Do you have any idea how many bags of garbage a school uses in a day?" The senior partners grinned.

"Rough day Gage?" Trivette asked when they walked in.

"Don't go there Trivette," Gage warned him. Then he turned to Walker, "Why did you have to send me in as a custodian?" he whined.

"Well Gage, it's the easiest job and no one asks questions about a new custodian… plus I figured you'd love it," Walker chuckled.

"Thanks a bunch boss. I owe you."

They all shared a good laugh with the exception of Gage then Walker got serious. "So did either of you guys notice anything today?"

"Nope, nothing," Sydney offered.

"You know Walker, maybe this school is clean. Maybe the Raptors are using another school for their drugs," Gage suggested.

"Maybe, but let's stick with this one for a few more days."

"Okay," Sydney said, "so did you get any new information on the Raptors yesterday?"

"Well they're still hanging out at the _Lonestar Bar_ and it looks like Granges might be recruiting new members to replace the ones they've lost but that's pretty much it," Trivette informed them. "They're flying under the radar right now so no one knows anything concrete."

  

The next day was as uneventful was the one before it. Sydney was starting to believe that Gage was right. Maybe they really were wasting their time here and the Raptors were using another school to sell their drugs. However the next day changed her mind.

In the next to the last lunch period of the day, Sydney noticed some of the students crowded around one table. When she went over to investigate, the crowd immediately dispersed but she caught two boys stashing drugs in their pockets. She shook her head and said, "Sorry boys. I guess you weren't quite fast enough. Come on, I'm sure Mr. Harvey will want to hear about this."

"What are you talking about lady? You didn't see anything," the one boy said.

"Yeah and we aren't going anywhere with you," the other added. They both figured that this new petite aid couldn't do anything to them but when she yanked them from their seats, their opinion of her changed and fast.

  

Gage was walking through the hallway as Sydney came out of the cafeteria dragging two boys by their arms.

"Is there a problem here?" he asked.

"Well I'm just bringing these fine boys to the principal's office… I caught them with drugs," Sydney replied.

"Well here let me help." Gage took one of the boys from her and together, they hauled the dealers off to meet their fate.

Mr. Harvey greeted the boys as they walked in. "Well, well, well, Derek Michaels and Ryan Stempel. What a pleasant surprise."

  

Within the hour the boy were sitting in separate interrogation rooms at Ranger Headquarters. Trivette had already run their names and informed his comrades that neither had a record.

Armed with folders containing photos of members of the Raptors, the four split up to question the teens, hoping that one or both could identify their suppliers as the gang.

  

Walker and Trivette entered Interrogation Room A.

"Derek Michaels," Trivette started, "no previous record but all of a sudden you're caught with crystal meth."

"So what," the teen retorted, "I was caught with some drugs, big deal."

"It is a big deal kid," Walker replied, bending down to look Derek in the eye. "That's possession. Did you know that you can get sent to juvi for that?"

"It's my first offense… how bad could it be?"

"Two to three years with a chance of parole after two is a big deal," Trivette stated. He could see that this news was starting to weaken the teen.

"We can make this easier on you but only if you help us first. Who gave you the crystal meth?" Walker pressed.

"Look man, I don't know. Ryan always met with the suppliers. Then we split it and sold it."

"Get him out of here," Walker told the guard. Then he and Trivette left the room.

"Do you think he's telling the truth?"

"Yeah I do. Let's just hope Sydney and Gage get more information than we did."

  

A few minutes later, Gage and Sydney walked out of Interrogation Room C with smiles plastered on their faces. "Ryan identified Vulture," she said.

"Yeah and he also said that they always met on the corner of Maple and 7th, right by the old mill," Gage added.

"Looks like we have enough for warrants," Trivette said.

"Let's go get them." With that they all left, thinking that this would be a quick and effortless arrest. Little did they know about what awaited them.

A/N: Well here's a little cliffhanger for you. I promise that the next chapter will be far more interesting so review this one and I'll get the next one up as soon as I can.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Walker, Texas Ranger or any of its characters. I'm just using them for the sole purpose of our entertainment.

A/N: Sorry it's taken me so long to update the story...I've been really busy with tons of end of the summer stuff but I'm hoping I can write the rest of the story and post it by the end of next week. Thanks for your patience!

Chapter 4

All Sydney could think about on the way to arrest the Raptors, once again, was the way it had ended last time.

Granges had found out she was a ranger and slapped her across the face, sending her whirling to the floor. While handcuffing her to a table leg, he informed her that life was a terminal disease and she was going to find out what it was like to be infected. Then he started draining those containers. Sydney remembered screaming in her head how she didn't want to die but that only a miracle could save her now. Then she got her miracle when Gage ran into the lab, calling her name.

"Get yourself together Cooke," she told herself, coming back to the present, "That happened a long time ago. There's no use worrying about things that are long over and done with."

By now they had reached the abandoned mill and within minutes the place was surrounded.

"Texas Rangers," Trivette called and then the battle began.

"Cover me, I'm going in," Walker shouted and a few seconds later, Trivette yelled the same thing and followed his partner. Gage and Sydney were now left with the back up to keep the reign of bullets showering on the gang. The junior partners looked at each other and both took off after their comrades

  

Inside the mill was just as bad, if not worse, than it had been outside. There were more people there than any of the rangers had anticipated but the good guys were slowly gaining an upper hand.

Nearly everyone besides Granges and Vulture were dead and the leader and sergeant in arms were both weakening. Suddenly a bullet caught Granges in the stomach and as he laid bleeding to death, Vulture knew exactly what he had to do.

As quick as possible, he grabbed an empty beer bottle and filled it with one of the many highly flammable liquids they had used in the manufacture of the drugs. As he threw the bottle toward the rangers and took aim, he screamed, "You will all pay dearly for the Rangers!" He fired a single shot and hit his target. The bottle exploded and sent flames shooting everywhere. Within seconds the entire building had erupted in flames and was completely demolished with all four rangers still inside.

A/N: This is an even better cliffhanger than my last one. Finally I've reached the part of my story that I've been shooting for and I can get on with the consequences of this battle. Will the rangers live? Well yes of course. I'm not that mean but I'll leave you with this - every single one of them is injured but one will have injuries that not even the best of doctors can repair. I'll update soon but for now, please leave me reviews!!


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I lay no claim on Walker, Texas Ranger or any of it characters.

A/N: The "Jacob" I refer to is Jacob Crossland from the episode _Jacob's Ladder_ in the seventh season. He's the firefighter who got shot while fighting the fire set by a gang looking to dominate its neighborhood.

Chapter 5

The sound of sirens broke the silence that had blanketed the area after the explosion. Soon search efforts were being set up to locate the four rangers. Walker and Alex's friend, Jacob was there as well and he was hoping his friend was alive but as time went by the chances of finding the four alive were diminishing.

Finally after ten minutes of walking among the rubble and calling out the names of the rangers, Jacob heard a small sound. "Quiet!" he yelled and listened harder, straining to hear it again.

"Over here," a voice whispered and a grin flashed across the firefighter's face.

"It's Walker!" he cried and then called back, "Walker, hang in there buddy, we'll get you out!" He carefully made his way toward where the voice had come from. He strained to see any sign of human life and then he saw an arm. "Guys over here, I see something! But be careful, the others are probably in this general area too."

With the help of others, Jacob dug through the concrete and wood and found a slightly battered but alive Walker. The paramedics came over with their supplies and soon Walker was ready to be transported to the hospital. He had minor cuts and bruises but aside from that and a broken arm, he was fine. It was a miracle but now they needed three more for the others.

Another shout went up. They had found Gage. The junior ranger was unconscious and probably had a concussion. He had a large gash across his forehead, possibly some crack ribs and a broken ankle.

Within minutes, both rangers were on their way to St. Mathews where Alex with Angela and Erika were anxiously awaiting any news.

  

As the ambulance pulled away, Jacob turned to his fellow firefighters. "Okay guys we need to double our efforts. Ranger Trivette and Ranger Cooke are still in this mess and every minute wasted the chances of finding them alive gets smaller. Let's comb the area again and be careful!

Knowing how important this was, no one wasted any time. "I think I found something!" one of the men soon called. The crew drifted toward him and sure enough, there was Trivette, battered and bloody from the numerous cuts he had endured, but nonetheless alive.

The next ambulance pulled out with Trivette and a message for Alex and Erika on board. The men watched the emergency vehicle pull away before turning back to their task ahead… finding Sydney.

  

At the hospital, Alex and Erika were waiting for news of any kind.

"Alex, do you ever get used to this?"

"Erika, I'm not going to lie to you. It never gets easier. Every time we are in this position, it's just as hard. You never know how bad it is or what's wrong. You just have to wait as patiently as possible and hope that they're okay."

At that moment, the doctor came out to the waiting room. "Are you two ladies here for Rangers Walker and Gage?"

"Yes Doctor. How are they?" Alex asked.

He proceeded to tell them everything that the paramedics had anticipated at the scene. He also said they would each make a full recovery. "Can we see them?" Erika asked when he had finished.

"Yes come this way. We put them in the same room to make it easier for you to visit. Also we've been told to tell you that Ranger Trivette is on his way in and that Ranger Cooke hasn't been found but they're not giving up."

"Thanks Doctor."

They had reached the door to Walker and Gage's room. The doctor opened the door and said "You can stay as long as you'd like. I'll come here when there's more new about your friends."

The girls walked into the room and saw that both Walker and Gage were awake. "Hey," Alex said smiling brightly, "How are you guys feeling?"

"Tired… sore," Gage answered pitifully.

"Yeah, let me tell you something, Alex, Erika, being caught in an exploding building is no picnic," Walker groaned.

"Poor baby," Alex said, smoothing back the hair on Walker's forehead.

"I don't mean to change the subject, but is there any news on Syd or Trivette?" Gage asked.

"The doctor told us that they found Jimmy but not Sydney. She's still missing," Erika informed them.

It was obvious that Gage was taking the news hard and Alex tried to calm his fears. "Don't worry Gage. They're going to find her and she'll be fine."

Gage sighed. "I sure hope you're right Alex."

About a half hour later, a few orderlies wheeled Trivette into the room and placed him on the bed next to Walker. He was still unconscious and when the doctor came in he told them there was nothing to worry about. He would be awake shortly. Erika pulled up a chair and sat by his bed, holding his hand. She made it clear that she wasn't moving until he opened his eyes.

"Erika," Alex said going to her friend's side, "he's going to be fine, you heard the doctor."

"I know Alex but all I can think about is when he was in that crash because of Lavocat. I was so afraid that he might not make it but he did and he will this time too." she said to Alex, never taking her eyes off her husband's face. "Jimmy, please open your eyes."

"Well I have to so I can see your beautiful face," Trivette whispered.

Erika broke out in a smile. "Welcome back honey. How are you feeling?"

"Sore." Trivette looked around the room and saw Walker and Gage lying in beds with Alex and Erika standing around them. "Sydney hasn't been found yet has she?"

"No, but the rescue team is still looking and they're not going to give up until she's safe."

As soon as the last word was out of Alex's mouth, the nurse walked in. "I don't mean to interrupt but I was told to tell you that Ranger Cooke has been found and she's being airlifted to the hospital." She left the room quietly leaving the five friends to worry and wonder about the condition of their friend.

A/N: I'm pretty sure you all realize that Sydney is the one that got the worst of the injuries but now you just have to wait for the next chapter to see how bad it really is and what exactly is wrong with her. I'll update as soon as I can so please review this chapter and be patient. Thanks for all your feedback!


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own Walker, Texas Ranger or any of it characters. I'm just using them for our entertainment.

Chapter 6

Minutes seemed like hours as they waited anxiously in the hospital room for news about their friend. After the nurse brought the information, no one spoke. They were all too absorbed in their own thoughts to think about each other.

The knock at the door brought them all out of their thoughts and they looked up to see Jacob walking in. "Hey everyone. It's good to see you're okay, Walker, Trivette, Ranger Gage."

"What happened out there Jacob?" Alex asked.

"It took us a half hour after Trivette was on his way to the hospital to find her. She was thrown half way across the room by the blast and we almost didn't find her, that's how buried she was." He paused and let this information sink in before continuing. "She wasn't breathing when we finally got her out and the paramedics almost lost her before they got her breathing again. They said it didn't look good and that's why the chopper was called in…" Jacob trailed off not knowing what else to tell them.

"Thanks for all your help in this, Jacob," Walker said after letting this news sink in for a minute.

"No problem Walker. I owed you." After a moment he added, "Okay well I'm going to head out. Call me when you hear anything. My prayers will be with you."

As the door swung closed behind him, silence overtook the group again. Walker looked at Gage, knowing he was taking this hard. The look on the young ranger's face was one of pain and shock. "Gage…" he started but he was cut off.

"You know, the day before we first went undercover at the high school, Syd came back to my place. We had a talk and I told her I loved her." His voice cracked but he steadied it and continued. "Then she said she loved me back. God if I lose her… I don't think I can go on." Gage was in tears as he finished, thinking about his beautiful partner and the possibility of losing her.

Alex went to his side and took his hand. "Gage, Sydney's strong. If anyone can pull through this, it would be her."

"I hope you're right Alex because I can't lose her. I love her too much."

They looked up as the door opened and their doctor entered the room. "Hey everyone. I've got some good news and some bad news. Good news is after a quick evaluation I'm pretty sure all three of you can be released tonight as long as you take it easy."

"That's great doc," Walker said, "but how is Sydney?"

"Ah that's the not so good news. When Ranger Cooke came in she had a fractured arm and a broken leg. She has a concussion and a back injury. Currently she's still unconscious but what really worries me is the back injury."

"Why is that doctor?" Alex asked.

"Well in situations like this one, any damage to the backbone could mean damage to the spinal cord. We're not quite sure but it looks as if Ranger Cooke is paralyzed from the waist down. Now in most cases, patients recover in a matter of weeks, sometimes months. But there is the chance that she may never recover from this injury."

"You mean Syd could be paralyzed forever?" Gage choked out.

The doctor turned to Gage. "Yes Ranger Gage. It is a possibility but we won't know anything more until she wakes up and we can run more tests."

"I want to be with her," Gage stated.

"I figured you'd say that and I'm perfectly fine with you sitting with her as long as you promise that if it becomes too much, you let someone know so you can come back here and get some rest."

"Okay. Whatever it takes, I just want to be with her."

  

A few minutes later Gage found himself in a wheelchair sitting next to his partner. The sight was not pretty. Sydney had an IV in each arm and was attached to a heart monitor. The broken and arm and leg were in casts and much like the rest of the gang she had bandages all over to cover the cuts.

None of this even mattered to Gage. He ever so gently picked up her hand and covered it with his own. "Syd, I don't know if you can hear me or not but please don't leave me. Our life together has just started and you can't bail on us. I love you so much Syd. Please come back to me."

As Alex and Erika came in a few minutes later to see Sydney and encourage her to be strong through this, Gage just sat there. He barely even noticed the women come in and when Alex put her hand on his shoulder and asked if he was okay, he jumped and said he was fine although he was clearly taking all of this very hard. They left quietly, knowing Gage would rather be alone with his partner.

When the doctor came in an hour later, Gage was sleeping with his head next to Sydney's hand. He shook his head and put his hand on Gage's shoulder. "Ranger Gage," he said and when Gage woke up he continued. "I told you to take it easy."

"I'm sorry doc. I was just resting my eyes for a minute."

His doctor laughed. "I've heard that line before. Now as soon as I check on Ranger Cooke, I'm personally taking you back to your room."

"But," Gage protested, "You said that I would be released tonight."

"I did, but if you remember correctly, I also said that you had to take it easy and get some rest. You didn't listen so maybe if you cooperate tonight, I'll release you tomorrow morning. Does that sound fair?"

"I guess I have no choice."

The doctor laughed and after a brief examination of Sydney he wheeled Gage back to his room.

A/N: What do you think? Am I doing a good job? Please leave me some reviews and I'll get the next chapter up as soon as I can.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own Walker, Texas Ranger or any of its characters.

Chapter 7

Gage woke up and looked at the clock. 6:30. "Damn," he said to himself, "This must be a curse. I can't sleep past 7 anymore… thanks Syd." At that point he remembered that she was still in the hospital and still unconscious. Gage leaned over and hit the nurse pager.

"Ranger Gage is everything okay?" a voice came over the speaker.

"Yeah I was just wondering if Dr. Philips is in yet."

"No not yet but he should be in by 7:00. Do you want your breakfast while you wait for him?"

"Sure."

As he was finishing up the not so wonderful hospital meal, Dr. Philips walked in. "Well Ranger Gage, I see you're up early."

"Yup, so do I get to get out of here now?" he asked almost pleadingly.

"Well the nursing staff says you have been cooperative and you got some rest so yes. Give me a few minutes to get your paperwork together and then you can leave."

"Thanks Doc," Gage replied grinning, "Hey also I was wondering, is there any change on Ranger Cooke?"

"The night staff said that she woke up around midnight but that's all I know. He room is my next stop after I finish up here. Also before you ask, you can see her as soon as I finish my examination."

"Thanks."

  

Gage hobbled into Sydney's room on his new crutches to find her lying in the bed with her head turned toward the wall. "Syd?" he asked cautiously, not knowing if she was awake or not. She turned her head and he saw that she had tears in her eyes.

"Gage, I can't feel my legs," she cried.

"I know honey. The doctor said that you have a back injury and your spinal cord is damaged. But it could be just temporary."

"But it might not be. Gage, I'm so scared. I don't want to be paralyzed."

"Shh Syd. It's going to be okay," Gage soothed the best he could. He walked over to her bed and hugged her. As he tried to pull away, she clung tighter.

"Gage, don't leave me, please don't leave me. I can't go through this alone."

"Syd," Gage said pulling away from her so he could look into her eyes, "I'm not leaving you, ever. You're stuck with me forever. There's nothing that could make me leave. I love you."

"I love you too but what if I never get better?"

"We'll cross that bridge if we come to it. Right now you need to relax."

"He's absolutely right Ranger Cooke," Dr. Philips said as he walked in, "Now I can see that you're very stressed about this situation so I need to calm down so we can run some more tests and see exactly what the chances are of you getting better." Sydney nodded, putting on a brave front and getting control of herself as much as possible.

First, Dr. Philips started with some physical tests. He ran his finger down the middle of each of Sydney's feet. There was no response. Then he tested her reflexes and again there was no motion in her legs. Sydney was desperate for some good news but so far there was none to offer.

"Okay Ranger Cooke," he said, "now I'd like to take some x-rays of your spine and see if anything out of the ordinary can be detected. "I'll get some people in here to move you to the x-ray room and get this over with as soon as possible. Ranger Gage, if you could please wait here, we'll have her back in no time."

Sydney looked at Gage with a look that said "don't make me go alone" but he was sure the doctor wasn't about to make an exception. "Syd, everything's going to be fine, just go get your x-rays done and I'll be right here when you get back. I promise."

As they wheeled Sydney out of the room on the bed, Gage left to make some phone calls to the Trivettes and Walkers, updating them on Sydney's condition. They all promised to be in as soon as they could. Now, with nothing left to do, Gage sat in the nearest chair to wait for Sydney to return from her tests.

A/N: So what do you think? I'm pretty sure that I can finish this story up in two more chapters and I promise that they will both be up some time this week. Reviews please!


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I lay no claim on Walker, Texas Ranger or any of its characters.

Chapter 8

When Sydney returned from getting the x-rays, her room was crowded with all of her friends. Walker and Alex with Angela, Trivette and Erika, and of course Gage, were there. "Hey everyone," she smiled as the orderlies wheeled her bed back into its space and left quietly.

"Hey Sydney," Erika said, "How are you feeling?"

"As best as can be expected giving the situation," she sighed and then continued, "I guess you all know about my legs…"

"Gage told us everything when he called," Walker started.

"Yeah and Sydney you're going to be just fine. You've got all of us to help you through this and even if you don't get feeling back…" Alex paused, thinking about that actually happening and Trivette piped up.

"I think what Alex is trying to say is that no matter what happens we'll be here for you. After all, what are friends for?"

"Thanks guys. You're the best."

"Ranger Cooke, excuse me for interrupting but I've got some news," Dr. Philips said from the doorway. "Do you want to talk privately?"

"Dr. Philips, these people are like family to me. If you don't mind, I'd really like for them to stay."

"That's fine. I reviewed the pictures taken and I'm afraid I have some bad news."

Gage instinctively went to Sydney's side and held her hand tightly, knowing she was going to need all the strength possible for what the doctor was about to say. Sydney, who was scared to death of what she was about to be told, was glad to draw from Gage's strength. "I'm never going to walk again am I?" she asked bravely.

"I'm sorry but that's how it looks. You see, when you hit the ground after the explosion; most of the impact hit your lower back. Your spine pinched the nerves responsible for moving the muscles in your legs and there is no fix for it. The nerves are permanently damaged."

The whole room was silent as everyone took in what the doctor had just said. It was so hard for them to believe that Sydney would be in a wheelchair for the rest of her life.

Sydney was the first to speak. "What do we do now?"

"I want to get you into physical therapy as soon as possible so you can work on building up your upper body strength. You need to learn how to care for yourself with your disability."

"When can I start?" she asked, making everyone laugh. "What? I want to get out of here as soon as possible."

"How does later today sound?"

"Perfect."

"Okay then it's settled. I'll talk to Dr. VanDyke, she's in charge of the physical therapy program here and we'll get you started as soon as possible. Then depending on how well you recover, I think I can release you in two days as long as you continue PT on an out patient program. Now if you'll excuse me, I have rounds to make. I'll be back in a few hours."

"Thanks for everything Doctor." Dr. Philips gave her a smile and then left.

As soon as the door shut, Sydney turned to Walker. "I know that I can't work outside the office anymore but I don't want to quit the Rangers. It's what I am and I can't bear the thought of doing anything else. Do you think I can keep my job even if it's only desk duty?"

"Well I don't see anything wrong with that. In fact, I like the idea of you still being there. Just let me clear it with the big bosses and I'll let you know."

"Thanks Walker, for everything."

"No problem," the older ranger said smiling warmly at her. Then he turned to Gage. "I know that you hate the thought of it but you're going to need a new partner. I will not let you go out there without backup."

"As much as I hate to admit it, you're right. It's not going to be anything like working with Syd, but I need a partner all the same. Do you have any ideas on who?"

"When you get back to work, we'll find someone."

"Okay if you guys are done talking, I think we should leave. Someone needs to get her rest before she starts physical therapy," Alex announced.

Everyone said goodbye to Sydney and then left, leaving Gage alone with his partner. "Syd, you don't know how much I hate the idea of going out there without you not watching my back…" Gage started.

"I know Gage. I hate it too but we have to be realistic. You need someone."

"Yeah and I want you to help me find that someone. I need your help on this one."

"I'd be happy to Gage, you know that."

"Thanks Syd. I don't know if I've told you enough in the last few days but I love you and I'm glad that you're okay."

"So am I and I love you too."

"Okay, well I guess I'm going to head out. Like Alex said, you need to get your rest." Gage grabbed his crutches and went to stand up but Sydney put her hand on his arm.

"Gage… can you sit with me until I fall asleep?"

Gage smiled, "Sure Syd." He sat back down and took her hand. Within minutes she was fast asleep. Gage stood up and then leaned down to brush her hair out of her face. As he kissed her forehead, he whispered "everything's going to be alright. We'll get through this. I love you." Then he stood up and quietly left the room.

A/N: One more chapter to go. I'm going to tie up all the loose ends and hopefully give you guys a great conclusion. Reviews please!


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I lay no claim on Walker, Texas Ranger or any of its characters.

A/N: For those you who may be confused, Cooper is from "_Deadly Situation_" in the final season of the series. Also the italicized part of the story is just a recap of everything that happened during the six weeks that lapse between chapter 8 and chapter 9

Chapter 9 

Six Weeks Later

Today was Sydney's first day back at work. She had successfully completed her physical therapy and aside from being in a wheelchair, she was back to her old self.

_There had also been some change in the living arrangements. Gage had picked out a new apartment for the two of them. It was completely handicap friendly which was something Gage was intent on finding because he knew that Sydney would never be dependent on anyone even now that she had a disability. Now it was fine for them to have a relationship even though they worked together. There was no chance of them making poor judgments when conducting arrests because that wasn't part of _ _Sydney__'s job anymore. _

_ Gage had his new partner now as well. He was a fairly new ranger who, when Walker found out he'd became a ranger, had been immediately placed in Company B. Cooper, the young officer from Sage City who had busted some dirty cops, gotten himself shot and lost his partner, reached his goal of becoming a ranger. _ _Sydney__, true to her word gave her opinion in the matter and greatly approved of Gage's choice for his new partner. _

_ Lastly, the rangers were relieved to know that they never had to deal with the Raptors ever again. Every one of them had been in the abandoned mill and they had all been found dead some time after _ _Sydney__ had been rushed to the hospital. _

Now as everyone waited in the Ranger's office for Sydney to arrive, they heard the common sound of her and Gage arguing down the hall. "Gage," she protested, "I can wheel this thing myself. I don't need you to push me."

"Syd, humor me. I want to be the one who pushes you into the office for you first day back." Now they were at the door and Alex told everyone to get ready as Gage opened the door and pushed the wheelchair inside.

"SURPRISE!" everyone shouted.

"You guys!" was all Sydney could manage to say.

"Welcome back Sydney," Trivette said warmly, "I can't believe I'm actually saying this but I've missed you and Gage fighting all day, everyday." Everyone laughed.

"Thanks Jimmy," Sydney replied, "It's great to be back." She looked around the room. "And thanks to all of you guys too. I probably should have expected something like this."

"Well it was Alex's idea and she arranged it all. We just showed up and yelled 'surprise' when she told us to," Walker told the junior partner, smiling

"Well I'm grateful. To tell the truth, I was a little nervous about coming back. I didn't know what to expect but now that I'm here, I feel like life is finally back to normal."

"We're all glad that you feel like that. Even though everyone's been here and I've seen you at home, I've missed you Syd. I've missed having you here to talk to about cases or anything really. It hasn't been the same but now that you're back, things can finally get back to normal."

"I know what you mean. It's a miracle that we all lived through the explosion. If just one thing had been different, we could have died."

"Syd, you know that I would have never let you off that easy and I know you wouldn't let me either. I told you, you're stuck with me forever."

"I have no problem with that," Sydney said smiling as Gage leaned down as kissed her. Everyone else looked on thinking about what Sydney had said. The rangers really could have all died and it's just a miracle that they lived. As they looked around the room at all their friends, it made them really glad that they had this moment to share together, safe and sound.

THE END

One Last Author's Note: A few of my readers wanted Sydney to miraculously recover from her paralysis but I just wanted you all to know that I wrote this story with the intension of her NOT getting well. In every episode of almost every show I've ever watched, especially WTR, things have turned out perfectly okay for the good guys. Any injury that plagued the good guys (more specifically the main characters) was gone by the end of the episode and that gets really boring after a while, not to mention predictable. I think my story still kind of shows this trend but it also shows that things don't always work out like the main characters would like it to.

Please leave me a review and tell me what you think about my story.


End file.
